Tag Archives: Thanks

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Thankful Heart

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Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.   Psalm 30:4

Life with an invisible illness can be tricky.  There are limitations which others cannot see that become frustrating.  They are vexing because one cannot do the things that they used to do or would like to do.  They may be annoying to others as they expect more than the illness allows one to deliver.  It’s a balance to be maintained as well as managing the illness itself.  But then, all trials present limitations and hurdles that must be managed or overcome.  In the fray, it’s easy to lose sight of the blessings of life and to be thankful for them.  This holiday week, my illness has been pushed to the background to focus on better things as I truly have a thankful heart. 

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Focus

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Focusing in God's will

To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Proverbs 1:2-7

Well the New Year has begun and as I discussed in the last post of December (“Joy Mixed with Sorrow”), the year is already shaping up with a mix of ups and downs.  God has blessed me with new opportunities to serve Him, traveling mercies, daily provisions that meet spiritual and physical needs as well as celebrations with family.  However, we have already had some stressful situations as well as being concerned with significant challenges facing family and friends.  One concern is that we must decide what to do with our dog who has outbursts that prevent us from trusting her to be good-natured (if interested, see “Animal Instincts and Obedience School”) and present concerns for liability.  I really love this dog, but she snarls and snaps for no apparent reason.  Further, in the back of my mind is an upcoming visit to a new doctor.  There is the hope that after 28 years of significant illness there might be an answer which helps manage my health issues more effectively.  However, past history suggests that it is likely another vain attempt.   The mantra that I apply to difficult situations and uncertainties is “God remains on His throne and is in control”.  I don’t say that lightly as it reminds me of both where hope lies and that my experiences have ramifications beyond my finite ability to understand.  As helpful as that is, I also need to work on how I react to the ups and downs of life.  So as I progress through the year, my goal is to focus on four things: a soft heart, discernment, joy and gratitude.

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Give Thanks to the Lord!

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Farm Pic with Psalm 100:4

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.  Psalm 105:1

As it is Thanksgiving in the United States, please join me in refection upon Psalm 136 which is a beautiful model for being truly thankful.  As this Psalm states, no matter what God is doing, His love for us is everlasting.  It starts with who God is, moves through various things that He has done and finishes with how He is ever mindful of us.

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Prelude to Thanksgiving-Blessings and Lessons

Gratitude for Everyone in our Lives

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Picture of lake in Brown County

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  Colossians 3:12-14

 

Within the past couple of weeks there have been quite a few conversations to make plans for Thanksgiving.  While the menu hasn’t varied too much from year to year, the people with whom we share the meal have varied greatly.  Naturally, the core group has always been our immediate family. However, many years have regularly included extended family, friends and acquaintances.  As I consider those with whom I have celebrated this holiday, I am reminded that I am most thankful for the people that God has chosen to weave in and out of my life.  Their roles, the length of time in my life and the affection for them has varied greatly, but they have all had a purpose.  As the saying reminds us, some people are a blessing while others are a lesson. 

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Thanksgiving Part 5

Thankful for Salvation

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Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!  2 Corinthians 9:15

As we move from the celebration of Thanksgiving to the celebration of Christmas, I can think of no better way to conclude the series about thankfulness than to consider being thankful for the salvation provided by Christ our Lord.  While there is much that can be, should be and has been said about this gift, I’d like to focus on the act of love, the ongoing gift and the benefit yet to be received.

One of the first verses we learn as Christians is John 3:16 and it is certainly a great passage to know for it speaks of the love that is the backdrop for this indescribable gift.  The Father has done what He has never asked of any of us in that He has sacrificed His only son.  However, to truly put it into perspective we need to also look to Romans 5:7-8.

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Thanksgiving Part 4

Thankful for God

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I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.  For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds.  Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth.  Psalm 57:9-11

While it may seem a bit elemental, are you ever just thankful for God?  I’m certainly not often enough.  We regularly thank Him for what He provides and what He does for us, but the root of all that we are thankful for rests in God alone and who He is.  He is the starting point. He is a living being who desires a relationship with us…those that He has lovingly created for specific purposes, those whose lives He has carefully planned and those whose righteousness has been purchased with the death of His only Son.  If we took the time to consider His attributes, His care and His concern for us, wouldn’t our souls be overwhelmed with thankfulness for our Creator…Father, Son and Holy Spirit?  The reasons that we can and should be thankful for our God are innumerable and exceed the scope of our awareness in this life, yet scripture is still full of so many details that we can comprehend and appreciate.  Consequently, for this post, I have selected a sampling of passages that speak to Our Lord’s character as well as a few of the reasons that we should fall on our knees in awe and be thankful for our God and our relationship with Him. 

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Thanksgiving Part 3

Thankful for Our Circumstances

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Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Most people are fairly comfortable being thankful for God’s provisions and for the people in their lives.  While we may not feel that our circumstances are quite as perfect as those depicted in Norm Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want”, we can generally muster a fairly strong attitude of thankfulness.  Certainly when we feel that things are going relatively well, we are filled with thankfulness, but what about when the times are tough.  Thanksgiving of 1992 I woke up in the hospital after having an ERCP the previous day.  I was in pain and groggy; I barely remember celebrating the holiday, let alone being thankful. 

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Thanksgiving Part 2

People

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Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

The call to live and to die well especially in the face of adversity, i.e. according to God’s will, has at least three purposes: it strengthens our relationship with our Lord, it provides us a better quality of life and it strengthens the body of Christ.  With respect to the latter, sometimes we learn from studying scripture and sometimes we learn from and are encouraged by watching others as they live by faith. For this post, rather than presenting a discussion of the precepts that encourage healthy relationships for which we can be thankful, I’d like to present evidence of God working through the body of Christ.

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Living With a Thankful Heart

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“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.  Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.”  Psalm 105:1-3

This week Thanksgiving is being celebrated across the United States.  The day has been set aside to thank God for His provisions and mercies.  However, as we approach the day, we hear more about food, football, sales and traveling rather than we do about giving thanks to God.  When the concept of being thankful is brought up, it’s usually in terms of a general attitude rather than focusing on the one to whom we give thanks. 

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Prelude

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“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

These are the miscellaneous ramblings of my mind as I ran that turned into a quick post.  It may not be as polished, but I hope that this post is a blessing just the same.

I just enjoyed what was probably my last unencumbered run of the year.  As the weather cools, I will need to bundle up more than the average person.  It was a good run.  As I ran, I was reminded of this passage and the depth of its meaning.  In all likelihood, I thought of it as a result of spending the morning prepping for next week’s post on a very predictable topic.  The rest of the run I considered many of the things I am grateful for.

I am thankful that I can run, even with all of its encumbrances, regulations and limitation.  Ten years ago I spent most of my time on the sofa with barely any energy.  My goal for each day was to be showered and dressed before Marie came home. I don’t know how long God will allow me to continue running, but I appreciate them so much these days and don’t take them for granted.

I am thankful for music that keeps me moving.  Today it was my Christmas running playlist and I’m thankful for the artists that share their gifts with us.  I was also thankful for the wind blowing making the run harder as it reminded me that life can be difficult, but God is always with me encouraging me to keep moving forward no matter what I face.

I am thankful for every ache and pain as I run.  They remind of the years and the miles this body has endured.  They remind me that through all of those journeys, and those yet to come, God has been faithful and loving in spite of my errors and missteps. Some times have been sweet, others bitter and many in between, but they have all been blessed and were God’s will for me.

I am thankful for my illness.  It has brought me out of legalism and religion to a real relationship with my Lord that I may not have experienced otherwise.  I am thankful for the small ministry that I have as a result.  I am thankful for those who have walked this journey with me…not the least of which are my wife and daughters who have given up and suffered as much as I.  On that subject alone, I could go on for some time.

I am thankful for parents who did not abort me.  It’s not that my parents would have ever considered the notion, but nevertheless, our current culture would allow it.  Despite the fact that my birthday is in March, it would not be until 60 years ago next month that my mother’s doctor would acknowledge that she was pregnant.  He insisted that I was a tumor.  Mom, as both a mother twice over and a nurse, knew differently and held her ground.  Further, while my mother would never say this, my birth created some adjustments as I was significantly younger than my siblings.  Also, my birth was literally sandwiched between missionary board meetings in which my father was laying out the proposal for a new mission in Ecuador.  It’s one thing to move two teenagers to another country, but a toddler certainly complicated the mix.  While that was not to be, it certainly must have weighed on their minds.

I am thankful for those saints who have enriched my life but have gone to be with our Lord.  Their deaths have caused great sorrow and pain.  Yet I know that they have met their Lord and are enjoying eternity with Him.  How could I ever wish that their reward be postponed?  It is bittersweet, but I am both thankful for their time with us and that they currently enjoy peace and joy that in inexpressible.

I am grateful for many more things like; a mother and father-in-law who loved me, a great son-in-law, and two grandsons; a church that is faithful to God’s word and my church family; as well as the many things we normally consider blessings at this time of year.  However, I wanted to share what came to mind as I considered this verse.  God has been my God since birth and has planned all of the events of my life to bring me to this point and I am grateful.  Consequently, “I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving.”  (Ps. 69:30)